collar and sleeve fundamentals

collar and sleeve grips from closed guard. controlling your opponent and flowing between submissions as they defend, building the chain from grip fighting to chokes, armlocks, and sweeps.

Flow outline

  1. Closed Guard Attacks

    • often the foundation of gi jiu-jitsu. from here, set a dominant cross-collar grip with your right hand deep inside the left lapel and a controlling sleeve grip with your left hand. control allows you to break your opponent's posture and set up a chain of traditional attacks

  2. Punch Choke

    • If they frame, a fundamental gi choke. with a deep cross-collar grip, punch your knuckles across the throat while pulling down on the sleeve to secure the finish

  3. Fast Kimura

    • If they frame, most of the time a swift armlock attack. when your opponent posts a hand on your chest or mat, immediately secure the kimura grip on that arm, using your collar control to isolate it

  4. Telephone Arm Lock

    • Once set, quick note: a classic gi armlock. after straightening your opponent's arm from the kimura, pin their wrist to your chest with your head, as if holding a telephone, and extend your hips for the submission

  5. Double Sleeve Grip Triangle

    • From here, a controlling setup. secure both of your opponent's sleeves, breaking their posture, then swing one leg over their shoulder to initiate the triangle choke. angle matters

  6. Arm Bar

    • if it shows up, the fundamental finish from the double sleeve grip triangle. after locking the triangle, control the far arm with your grips and extend your hips to secure the armlock

  7. Classic Arm Bar

    • If they frame, the traditional armlock from closed guard. use your collar and sleeve grips to break posture, then swing your leg over the head, pinning the arm across your chest for the finish

  8. Loop Choke

    • Often A powerful gi choke. When your opponent postures up, loop your collar grip behind their head and pull it across their throat, using your sleeve grip to control their posture

  9. JJM Omoplata

    • A shoulder lock from the gi. From an overhook position, swing your leg over their shoulder and rotate your body, using your grips to control their posture throughout

  10. Overhook

    • if it shows up, a dominant control position. secure an overhook on one arm while maintaining your collar grip, allowing you to attack with chokes, triangles, and armlocks

  11. Punch Choke

    • Quick note: From the overhook, your cross-collar grip is already in place. Punch your knuckles across the throat while pulling down on the overhooked arm to finish

  12. Triangle

    • A classic choke from the overhook. Use your overhook to control one arm, then swing your opposite leg over their shoulder and lock the triangle, using your grips to secure the position

  13. Arm Bar

    • Quick note: A direct armlock from the overhook. Control the arm with your overhook, then swing your leg over their head and extend your hips, using your collar grip to keep pressure

  14. Arm Bar Variation Into Omoplata

    • Most of the time A flowing transition. If your opponent defends the armlock by rolling, keep your grips and rotate into the omoplata, using your collar control to keep them in place

  15. Overhook Scissor Butterfly Combo Sweep

    • Once set, a powerful sweeping sequence. from the overhook, combine scissor and butterfly hooks to off-balance your opponent, using your grips to control their posture as you sweep to the top. angle matters

  16. Mounted Triangle

    • A dominant finishing position. After sweeping with the combo, immediately transition to mount and lock a triangle choke, using your collar grip to secure the head

  17. Mounted Arm Bar

    • If it shows up, A high-percentage submission from mount. After the sweep, control your opponent's arm with your grips and slide into the mounted armlock for the finish

  18. Triangle

    • Key detail: when your opponent posts their free hand after the sweep, use your collar grip to control their head and lock a triangle from the top position

  19. Guillotine

    • A front headlock choke. When your opponent postures up in your guard, secure the guillotine grip with your arm under their chin, using your sleeve grip to control their posture

  20. Triangle

    • Key detail: if your opponent uses their arm to defend the guillotine, transition to a triangle choke by swinging your leg over their shoulder, using your grips to secure the position

  21. Hip Bump Sweep

    • If it shows up, A fundamental sweep. When your opponent postures up, bump your hips and pull on their sleeve and collar to sweep them to the side, maintaining your grips throughout

  22. Triangle

    • If it shows up, After allowing your opponent to post during the hip bump, immediately transition to a triangle choke as they recover, using your collar grip to control their head

  23. Cross Collar Choke

    • Most of the time The quintessential gi choke. Secure a deep cross-collar grip with both hands, using your sleeve control to break posture and finish the choke with a scissoring motion

  24. Basic Arm Bar

    • Key detail: if it shows up, a traditional armlock from the cross-collar choke. when your opponent defends by using their arm, transition to the armlock by swinging your leg over their head, maintaining your collar grip for control

  25. Arm Bar

    • quick note: another armlock option from closed guard. use your collar and sleeve grips to isolate an arm, then swing your leg over and extend your hips for the submission. switch if it stalls

  26. Cross Collar Choke

    • Key detail: if it shows up, when your opponent secures their arm from the armlock attack, immediately return to your deep cross-collar grip and finish the choke, using your sleeve control to keep pressure. timing beats strength

Branch conditions